Perfect Cilantro Lime Rice
- PREP 10min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 35min
How to make the best cilantro lime rice that tastes even better than your favorite restaurants! Substituting stock or broth for the water adds additional flavor. We love using chicken or vegetable broth. If you use stock, add salt to taste since the stock may already have some salt added.
You Will Need
1 ½ cups (280g) long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, plus more for serving
1/2 cup (70g) finely chopped onion (1 small)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 ¼ cups (530ml) water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, see notes
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup (30g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
Directions
Place rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water, moving the rice around with your fingers until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside. This removes excess starch and helps the rice cook up fluffy and light.
Heat a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the oil or butter. When hot, add the rinsed rice and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the rice turns from translucent to a brighter white and the onion is soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring it around the pan until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the warm water or stock and stir, knocking any grains of rice stuck to the pan’s sides. Season with salt, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a lid. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave alone (still covered) for 10 minutes.
Uncover and test a grain of rice. If the rice is still a little hard, put the lid back on and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. If the rice looks too dry, scatter a tablespoon or two of extra water over it before placing it back on the heat.
When the rice is done, scatter the lime juice and cilantro on top. Use a fork to gently fluff the rice and incorporate the lime juice and cilantro. Serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Brown rice: Forget the package directions and cook brown rice like you would pasta. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, add the brown rice, and then let it cook, uncovered, at a simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and add it back to the pot off the heat with a lid covering it so it steams for an additional 10 minutes (this method is from Saveur, making perfect brown rice.) From there, stir in sautéed onion, garlic, fresh lime juice, and cilantro.
- Salt: If you plan to use stock, you may not need to add salt. Taste the stock before adding to the rice to determine if you need to add a pinch or two of additional salt.
- Cilantro substitute: If you are not a fan of cilantro, substitute it with chopped fresh parsley or leave it out.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.